2023-06-13 07:21:21
American director Steven Spielberg holds up two Golden Globes at the last edition. FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), organizer of the Golden Globes and tarnished by scandals in recent years, will disappear after the purchase of these awards by private investors, announced on Monday June 12 the association and the buying group in a press release.
The HFPA, which brings together around 100 entertainment journalists linked to foreign media, has presented the illustrious Golden Globes to film and television stars for nearly 80 years. The most followed awards after the Oscars, usually run by all the cream of the entertainment industry, they had been deserted by the industry in early 2022 after accusations of corruption and racism.
The sale of the Golden Globes to a group of private investors, including US billionaire Todd Boehly, was announced in July 2022. “Today marks a major milestone in the evolution of the Golden Globes”, said in the press release the businessman, whose company Eldridge has partnered with Penske Media Corporation for this acquisition. The sale “will lead to the eventual demise of the HFPA”, the joint statement said. No timetable for this dissolution has been specified.
Juicy broadcast deals
Once approved, the resources of the HFPA will be directed towards the creation of a non-profit association, centered on charities related to entertainment. That will include $44 million of the $48 the HFPA will receive from the sale of the Golden Globes, according to a letter from the California attorney general seen by AFP.
Thanks to lucrative broadcasting contracts, the HFPA has held immense power in Hollywood since the 1990s. In 2021, the Los Angeles Times had investigated the functioning of the association and had revealed in particular that it had no black people within it, paving the way for an avalanche of criticism and revelations. These had led to a series of reforms. For their return to television in January, the Golden Globes had recorded the lowest audience in their history, attracting 6.3 million viewers compared to 18 million in 2020.
American businessman Todd Boehly is the chairman of London football club Chelsea. Its Eldridge Industries holding company notably owns Dick Clark Productions, which was already producing the Golden Globes broadcast. He is also a minority shareholder in several Hollywood trade publications, including The Hollywood Reporter, and independent film studio A24, behind the recent big hits “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” and “The Whale”.
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